Court sends pilot, accused of botched landing, to jail

LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court judge on Friday sent the pilot, who was involved in botched landing of an airliner, to jail on 14 days judicial remand.

Captain Asmat Mahmood was arrested by police following a probe about landing of Boeing 737 of a private airlines at Lahore airport, said that the pilot was drunk while flying the plane.

The accused pilot was produced in the court today after eight days’ physical remand. The court rejected the plea about removing terrorism clauses from the chargesheet against the accused.

During the hearing today the counsel of Civil Aviation Authority and a member of the probe committee exchanged hot words in the courtroom.

The judge after the episode expelled the member of the inquiry committee and other irrelevant people from the courtroom.

The court after completion of the arguments of the lawyers sent the accused pilot to jail.

The pilot was flying Boeing 737 with 121 people on board that had skidded off the runway soon after landing at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.

All passengers and crew on board the NL-142 Karachi to Lahore flight remained unhurt and were evacuated via emergency escape chute, but the aircraft’s landing gear, windows and right wing were damaged in the landing.

A spokesman of the CAA said that medical reports have confirmed that the pilot had consumed alcohol before the flight.